Emily Chan and J. Daniel Vallecilla - Single and Pair Skaters

Emily Chan and J. Daniel Vallecilla are talented single and pair skaters. In 2008, Chan and Vallecilla not only qualified for pairs at the U.S. Junior National Figure Skating Championships, but they also each qualified for national juvenile singles.

Chan and Vallecilla are the 2008 U.S. National Juvenile Pairs Bronze Medalists and they are the 2009 U.S. National Juvenile Pairs Champions. In addition, they are the 2009 Midwestern Juvenile Pair Skating Champions.

Emily Chan began skating when she was only four years old. She began skating in learn-to-skate classes and passed basic skills ice skating tests quickly. She was approached by a figure skatng coach and began private ice skating lessons.

Daniel's aunt, Lefki Terzakis, competed internationally as a figure skating competitor. She is Daniel's coach. He began skating when he was only four.

When Chan and Vallecilla were five years old, they met at a figure skating event in Austin, Texas. The two children became friends.

At age seven, Vallecilla showed much talent at figure skating. This prompted his coach and family to ask figure skating coaches in the Houston area if they had any students who may be interested in trying out pair skating with Daniel. After one try-out, Chan and Vallecilla became a team. Their strong freeskating skills clicked.

Emily was born on August 11, 1997 and Daniel was born on November 23, 1997. Both children were born and raised in Houston, Texas.

Favorite Foods:

Chan's favorite foods include any kind of Chinese food, especially beef roman noodles and chicken salad. Vallecilla likes chicken noodle soup and homemade tacos.

Emily Chan's parents are John and Mary Chan. Her father came from China and her mother came to the U.S. from Taiwan. Emily has a younger brother named Alan. Chan's father works for the Texas Instrument Company as an equipment engineer manager. Her mother works at home as figure skating dress designer and seamtress.

Daniel Vallecilla is one of seven siblings. His father died when he was just six years old. After his father's death, Daniel was raised by his grandparents.

Both Emily and Daniel have qualified for the U.S. National Junior Figure Skating Championships in single skating. In 2006-07, Chan won the Pre-Juvenile Girls event at the Southwestern Regional Championships. Daniel especially enjoys jumping. When he was only ten years old, he could sometimes do a clean double Axel. At the age of ten, Emily passed her Senior Moves in the Field test.

Chan's singles coach is Karla Atwood. Vallecilla's singles coach is his aunt, Lefki Terzakis. Their pair coach is Nicole Sciarrotta.

The pair lives fifty miles apart. Chan travels to the Sharptown Ice Arena in Houston to skate with Vallecilla, and in return, Vallecilla takes the trip to Space City Ice Station for their second weekly practice day. Because of the distance, two days is all they have, but whenever they can, the team tries to somehow squeeze in one more day each week.

In September of 2008, both Emily Chan, Daniel Valecilla, their families, and their figure skating coaches were affected by the Hurricane Ike storm. Following the ordeal, Vallecilla's family had no power or water for two weeks; Chan's family had the same problem for one week. Communication was limited.

Chan's entire neighborhood lost trees and fences. Emily's family did not have time to evacuate. Schools did not reopen for nearly two weeks.

Almost all the ice rinks in the Houston area were closed for two to three weeks. This affected the pair's training. Despite the obstacles, the team won a gold medal at the 2008 Pikes Peak Classic for Pairs and Dance which was hosted by the Broadmoor Skating Club and the Colorado Springs World Arena in late September of 2008.

• Hurricane Ike survivors win gold at Pikes Peak - Emily Chan and J. Daniel Vallecilla just fine after monster storm - By Jo Ann Schneider Farris on IceNetwork.com